** 2024 Commencement Updates **

** 2024 Commencement Updates **

Deadline Dec. 15 for Literary Magazine Submissions

Daniel Martí­nez 

Las Vegas, NM — The deadline for submitting entries for the New Mexico Highlands University Picayune Literary Magazine is Dec. 15.

Each spring, graduate students in the Department of English graduate produce Picayune, which features national and international submissions of short fiction, poetry, flash fiction of no more than 250 words, and black-line art.

Literary submissions for consideration may come from students, faculty, staff and others outside the university community.

Since 2004, English professor Daniel Martí­nez has served as the faculty adviser for Picayune. The Department of English publishes the magazine.

“English graduate students do all the heavy lifting with the magazine, including selecting and organizing the submissions, as well as all the editing, layout and design,” Martí­nez said. “The students are very dedicated, talented and bright. They’re eager to learn, taking this rare opportunity to gain hands-on publishing experience at the M.A. level.”

Picayunedraws its name from a Spanish coin worth half a real that was in circulation from the mid-14th century until 1864. The literary magazine was established at Highlands in the late 1990s under a different name.

The magazine has an official International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) designation, a unique eight-digit number used to identify periodic publications around the globe. 

Martí­nez is a Las Vegas native and published poet who joined the English faculty in 2004. He earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of Nebraska — Lincoln with an emphasis in poetry writing, Chicano/a literature, and post World War II United States poetry.

He is an Highlands University alumnus, having earned his B.A. in communications arts and his M.A. in English with an emphasis in poetry writing.

Martí­nez’ poetry has been published in books such as Families: the Frontline of Pluralism and academic periodicals such as U.S. Latino Review and Plains Song Review.

He presents at academic conferences for organizations like the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies and the National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies.

At Highlands, Martí­nez teaches courses in creative writing, poetry writing, technical writing, composition, Chicano/a literature, and more. His students sometimes become the staff for Picayune.

“The majority of the students who work on Picayune have little or no real-world publishing knowledge. When they publish this literary magazine, they gain valuable experience they can list on their resumes and curriculum vitaes. It also makes them more attractive to Ph.D. and M.F.A programs,” Martí­nez said.

He added that the English graduate students work tirelessly on the literary magazine for academic credit rather than pay.

The university’s Student Senate funds the expenses for Picayune each year.

In addition to publishing costs, the Student Senate pays for an advertisement in Poets and Writers magazineto attract submissions. The internationally known magazine is the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers.

Martí­nez said that Picayune helps contribute to the body of new literature and poetry, while bringing recognition to the published authors, poets and artists.

Materials must be submitted as an email attachment to picayunemagazine@yahoo.comInclude the genre of the submission in the subject line of the message.

No previously published material is accepted for Picayune. Hardcopy submissions are also not accepted.

The categories for genres are:

Short fiction:  One submission limited to 2,500 words.

Flash fiction:One submission limited to 250 words.

Poetry:Send no more than five poems in any style or verse.

Art:Only black-line art is accepted.

Martí­nez said that all those who send email submissions will receive a reply from the Picayune staff, whether their work is accepted for publication or not. The next edition of Picayune will be published in late spring 2014.